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svchost.exe (netsvcs) read/write 50m/s and heavy internet traffic

About a month ago I acquired a virus that used svchost.exe (netsvcs). It began by reading/writing to my hard drive at approximately 50 M/s. I was able to manually stop this activity by disabling the BITS service but it would begin again each time I rebooted the PC. After about 2 weeks that activity stopped but now my internet connection runs at around 200 K/s which is about 10% of normal. I originally sought help at the norton forums and they referred me to whatthetech.com. Under their direction I used Malware Bytes, ComboFix, and AdWcleaner to remove files from my PC. This appeared to remove the virus but 2 days later the slow internet connection returned. I reran the programs again and was fine for about 24 hours. When it returned I contacted my internet provider to make sure there wasn't a problem with my connection. They had me do a speed test at two seperate websites. The results showed my connection speed at 25 Meg/s. I confirmed this with the tech because I am only signed up for 12 Meg/s. He said it is likely the virus is masking itself with a false reading and that there's no possibility my connection would be that high. In anticipation of a Hard Drive reformat I created a backup using a flashdrive. The files I attempted to save were jpg family photos, and some files created using Publisher and Excel. Unfortunately, the virus transferred itself to the flash drive and now I have a second PC showing the same symptoms. After returning to the Norton Forums, one of the moderators there suggested I come here for help. Thank you, in advance, for taking a look at my situation.

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In order to continue receiving help at BleepingComputer.com, YOU MUST tell me if you still need help or if your issue has already been resolved on your own or through another resource! To tell me this, please click on the following link and follow the instructions there.

A small box will open, with an explanation about the tool. No input is needed, the scan is running.

Notepad will open with the results.

Follow the instructions that pop up for posting the results.

Close the program window, and delete the program from your desktop.

Please note: You may have to disable any script protection running if the scan fails to run. After downloading the tool, disconnect from the internet and disable all antivirus protection. Run the scan, enable your A/V and reconnect to the internet.

I would like to welcome you to the Malware Removal section of the forum.

Around here they call me Gringo and I will be glad to help you with your malware problems.

Very Important --> Please read this post completely, I have spent my time to put together somethings for you to keep in mind while I am helping you to make things go easier, faster and smoother for both of us!

Please do not run any tools unless instructed to do so.

We ask you to run different tools in a specific order to ensure the malware is completely removed from your machine, and running any additional tools may detect false positives, interfere with our tools, or cause unforeseen damage or system instability.

Please do not attach logs or use code boxes, just copy and paste the text.

Due to the high volume of logs we receive it helps to receive everything in the same format, and code boxes make the logs very difficult to read. Also, attachments require us to download and open the reports when it is easier to just read the reports in your post.

Please read every post completely before doing anything.

Pay special attention to the NOTE: lines, these entries identify an individual issue or important step in the cleanup process.

Please provide feedback about your experience as we go.

A short statement describing how the computer is working helps us understand where to go next, for example: I am still getting redirected, the computer is running normally, etc. Please do not describe the computer as "the same", this requires the extra step of looking back at your previous post.

NOTE: At the top of your post, click on the "Follow This Topic" Button, make sure that the "Receive notification" box is checked and that it is set to "Instantly" - This will send you an e-mail as soon as I reply to your topic, allowing us to resolve the issue faster.

NOTE: Backup any files that cannot be replaced. Removing malware can be unpredictable and this step can save a lot of heartaches if things don't go as planed. You can put them on a CD/DVD, external drive or a pen drive, anywhere except on the computer.

NOTE: It is good practice to copy and paste the instructions into notepad and print them in case it is necessary for you to go offline during the cleanup process. To open notepad, navigate to Start Menu > All Programs > Accessories > Notepad. Please remember to copy the entire post so you do not miss any instructions.

These are the programs I would like you to run next, if you have any problems with these just skip it and run the next one.

Gringo, thank you for your time. I have run the three programs you directed me too and posted the notepad logs below. The files removed by AdwCleaner are definietly files that were removed the first time I tried to fix this. My PC is running fine right now and my internet connection speed seems to have improved but it's still getting a false reading from the speed test website my internet provider gave me. I am only signed up for 12 M/s but the last test showed I was connected at 27 M/s.

The PC is not currently experiencing any problems. Strangely, the second infected PC, which I mentioned in my original post, has also stopped showing signs of an infection and I haven't run any anti-malware programs on it for at least 2 weeks.

Note: If MBAM encounters a file that is difficult to remove, you will be presented with 1 of 2 prompts.Click OK to either and let MBAM proceed with the disinfection process.If asked to restart the computer, please do so immediately. Failure to reboot will prevent MBAM from removing all the malware.

These logs are looking very good, we are almost done!!! Just one more scan to go.

:Remove unneeded start-up entries:

This part of the fix is purely optionalThese are programs that start up when you turn on your computer but don't need to be, any of these programs you can click on their icons (or start from the control panel) and start the program when you need it. By stopping these programs you will boot up faster and your computer will work faster.

Very well done!! This is my general post for when your logs show no more signs of malware - Please let me know if you still are having problems with your computer and what these problems are.

:Why we need to remove some of our tools:

Some of the tools we have used to clean your computer were made by fellow malware fighters and are very powerful and if used incorrectly or at the wronge time can make the computer an expensive paper weight.They are updated all the time and some of them more than once a day so by the time you are ready to use them again they will already be outdated.

The following procedures will implement some cleanup procedures to remove these tools. It will also reset your System Restore by flushing out previous restore points and create a new restore point. It will also remove all the backups our tools may have made.

:DeFogger:

Note** Defogger only needs to be run if it was run when we first started. If you have not already run it then skip this.

To re-enable your Emulation drivers, double click DeFogger to run the tool.

please copy and past the following into the box ComboFix /Uninstall and click OK.

Note the space between the X and the /Uninstall, it needs to be there.

:Remove the rest of our tools:

Please download OTCleanIt and save it to desktop. This tool will remove all the tools we used to clean your pc.

Double-click OTCleanIt.exe.

Click the CleanUp! button.

Select Yes when the "Begin cleanup Process?" prompt appears.

If you are prompted to Reboot during the cleanup, select Yes.

The tool will delete itself once it finishes, if not delete it by yourself.

If asked to restart the computer, please do so

Note: If you receive a warning from your firewall or other security programs regarding OTCleanIt attempting to contact the internet, please allow it to do so.

About Java

During the cleaning process if I found that Java was installed I asked for it to be uninstalled, Many home users will not miss it. If you use OpenOffice, play online games or use business applications which require Java, Then you need to install the latest version and make sure to disable it in your web browsers.

If an application or website requires it, you should receive a notification indicating that when you attempt to launch that application or access that website.

Some of the programs that we have used would be a good idea to keep and used often in helping to keep the computer clean. I use these programs on my computer.

Revo Uninstaller Free - this is the uninstaller that I had you download and works allot better than add/remove in windows and has saved me more than once from corrupted installs and uninstalls

CCleaner - This is a good program to clean out temp files, I would use this once a week or before any malware scan to remove unwanted temp files - It has a built in registry cleaner but I would leave that alone and not use any registry cleaner

One of the questions I am asked all the time is "What programs do you use" I have at this time 4 computers in my home and I have this setup on all 4 of them.

Microsoft Security Essentials - provides real-time protection for your home PC that guards against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software.

WinPatrol As a robust security monitor, WinPatrol will alert you to hijackings, malware attacks and critical changes made to your computer without your permission. WinPatrol takes snapshot of your critical system resources and alerts you to any changes that may occur without your knowledge.

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware is a new and powerful anti-malware tool. It istotally free but for real-time protection you will have to pay a small one-time fee. We used this to help clean your computer and recomend keeping it and using often. (I have upgraded to the paid version of MBAM and I am glad I did)

Note** If you decide to install MSE you will need to uninstall your present Antivirus

:Security awareness:

It is good security practice to change your passwords to all your online accounts on a fairly regular basis, this is especially true after an infection. Refer to this Microsoft articleStrong passwords: How to create and use them Then consider a password keeper, to keep all your passwords safe. KeePass is a small utility that allows you to manage all your passwords.

The other question I am asked all the time is "How can I prevent this from happening again." and the short answer to that is to be aware of what is out there and how to start spotting dangers.

Here are some articles that are must reads and should be read by everybody in your household that uses the internet

There is no such thing as ‘perfect security’. This applies to many things, not just computer systems. Using the above guide you should be able to take all the reasonable steps you can to prevent infection. However, the most important part of all this is you, the user. Surf sensibly and think before you download a file or click on a link. Take a few moments to assess the possible risks and you should be able to enjoy all the internet has to offer.

I'd be grateful if you could reply to this post so that I know you have read it and, if you've no other questions, the thread can then be closed.

I Will Keep This Open For About Three Days, If Anything Comes Up - Just Come Back And Let Me Know, after that time you will have to send me a PM

My help is free, however, if you wish to make a small donation to show your appreciation or to help me continue the fight against Malware, then click here --><-- Don't worry every little bit helps.

Gringo

I Close My Topics If You Have Not Replied In 5 Days If You Will Be Longer Please Let Me Know

If I Have Not Replied To One Of My Topics In 48 Hrs Please Bump The Topic

My help is free, however, if you wish to make a small donation to show your appreciation or to help me continue the fight against Malware, then click here --><-- Don't worry every little bit helps.